Preferably, washing machine appliances are designed with features that can help conserve water. Conventionally, certain washing machines filled a wash chamber with wash fluid (e.g., water and detergent) until articles within the chamber were submerged by the wash fluid. Because cleaning of articles often may not require the articles to be submerged in wash fluid, such washing machines often consumed more water than necessary during the wash process.
Accordingly, to conserve water, washing machines can be designed to operate without filling the wash chamber with wash fluid such that articles in the chamber are submerged in the wash fluid. Rather, to soak the articles with wash fluid, such washing machines can pump wash fluid from a bottom of the wash chamber to a top of the wash chamber. The wash basket is rotated, and wash fluid that is pumped to the top of the wash chamber is then directed (e.g., sprayed or drizzled) onto the articles in the wash chamber below. Because the articles are rotating with the wash basket and the wash fluid is spraying onto them, the articles in the wash chamber are soaked with wash fluid and washed clean.
However, in these conventional designs, wash fluid is pumped to the top of the wash chamber using an electrical pump. Such electrical pumps are often configured exclusively for pumping wash fluid from the bottom of the chamber to the top of the chamber. Such pumps can add significantly to the overall cost of a washing machine appliance while only performing a single function. In addition, the electrical pump described above consumes electrical energy and thus decreases the efficiency of such washing machine appliances.
Accordingly, a washing machine that can recirculate fluid to the top of the wash basket would be useful. Such a washing machine that can recirculate fluid without the use of a dedicated pump would be particularly useful.